Holder for boot and shoe laces



June 27, 1933. w. GROMOLL HOLDER FOR BOOT AND SHOE LACES 2 Sheets-Sheet Filed Dec. 12, 1931 INVL'NTOR W/LLY GROMOLL BY June 27, 1933. w. GRQMOLL 1,915,665

' HOLDER FOR BOOT AND SHOE LACES Filed Dec. 12, 1931 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 IN VEN TOR W/LL y 6ROM0L Patented June 27, 1933 1 UNITED TA ES "PATENT [oral-ca .WILLY GROMOL-L, 0F BERLIN, GERMANY l-loLDE-R roanoor AND siren LAGES Application filed December 12, 1931, Serial No. 580,550, and internal March .7, 1931.

- The present-invention relates to holders for boot and shoe laces,--of the kind which is provided with an opening through which the rag or end of the lace is threaded;

A known lace-holder of the above kind is arranged in use to one side of the shoe and, owing to its transverse arrangement relative to the foot and also to the movement of the foot when the wearer is walking, is very easily moved out of the shoe, with the result that the lace loosens and the shoe opens. On the other hand, when the lace-holder is being arranged in position, it may slide too far into the shoe, and can only be removed with difiiculty. Furthermore, the known holders are formed only as simple rivets adapted to fasten the laces, and thus only imperfectly prevent the slipping of the lace tags out of the shoes.

The above-mentioned drawbacks are overcome by the present invention which, in addition to eliminating the fastening of the lace by means of a knot, also provides for the comfortable insertion of the lace end in the shoe and the permanent retention of the end therein when the wearer is walking. The

invention also permits the easy removal of the lace end from inside the shoe when the latter is unfastened.

30 According to this invention, a lace-holder of the kind referred to is in the form of a lever having several arms, one of which acts as a hook, whilst another arm is provided with one or more clamping slits.

The prevention of the slipping out of position of the lace-holder results from its beam-like form and parallel position relative to the foot. constructional forms of this invention are shown, by way of example, on the accompanying sheets of drawings, where- Fig. 1 is a plan view of a lace-holder consisting of a thin plate; Fig. 2 is a side-view of the lace-holder shown in Fig. 1; V

Fig. 3 is a view of a shoe showing the laceholder threaded on to the lace,

Fig. 4 is a view of a shoe with the laceholder in the position of use; and 5 Figs. 5 to 8 are views corresponding to Figs. 1 to 4 but showing a modified form of lace-holder. I I i J i Referring to Figs 1 to at, the disc-shaped lace-holder a is made in the form of a-lever having two arms. The inner end or tag of the lace is passed through an opening 0 in the holder, and the other end of the lace is I threaded through one of the outer eyelets h and retained by an arresting member, which must be as flat as possible and which is pre- 63 vented from slipping out of the eyelet. The lace-holder is inserted in the shoe in such a manner, that it lies between the shoe upper f and the shoe tongue 9 and rests in a twisted position upon the lace. A slit 7) is formed in G the holder at the tag of the lace being passed through said slit after the shoe has been fastened. On turning the lace-holder through about 180?, by means of a projection or hook d on the holder, the tag of the lace is thereby twisted beneath the shoe as shown in Fig. 4. The lace holder a when in position will lie between the shoe upper and the shoe tongue, and willbe held in this position by the pres sure or contact of the foot when in the shoe. In the construction shown in Figs. 5 to 8, one end is of the lace is pulled through a flat buckle Z, whereby the slipping of the lace end out of the eyelet h is prevented. The disc-shaped lace-holder a is provided with a clamping slit 6 and with an opening 0 through which the opposite end of the lace is threaded. In the position of use of the holder the lace end lies between the shoe upl per 7 and the shoe tongue g. 8D

In addition to the clamping slit bthe laceholder also comprises a further clamping slit 1), which is advantageously arranged as close as possible to the slit 1) in order to avoid interg ference with the swinging movement of the holder into its position of use. After the shoe has been fastened, the tag of the lace is first pulled through the clamping slit 6. The lace is then looped and the end passedthrough the =95 clamping slit 5. By turning the lace-holder a through about 180, the holder is brought into its working position, as shown in Fig. 6 in the left-hand shoe. In the last-mentioned :movement of the holder the lace end and the ieu loop in the lace is carried beneath the shoe up r.

It will be understood that more than two a clamping slits can be provided in the laceholder, if so desired. g H

Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of'my said invention and V in' what manner the same'is to be performed, I declare that what I claim is e 1. A'lace holder for, boots and shoes comprisinga flat body member having apivotal opening adjacent one side thereof, said opening being adaptedto underlie an eyelet of a shoe and to be held in position therebeneath by passing a shoe lace'through the eyelet and opemng, a lace engaging slot formedin said body member, and an upwardly extending tab formed on the body member for manually moving said member about the pivotal opening to tension the lace in the shoe and to engage the edge of the shoe upper to lock the member in tensioned position.

2. A laceholder for boots and shoes comprising a flat body member having a pivotal opening adjacent one side thereof said opening being adapted to underlie an'eyelet of a shoeand to be held in positiontherebeneath by passing a lace Qtliroughfthe e elet and opening, sa1db0dymember being a apted to'lie between the shoe upper and tongue,

.a plurality of=lace engaging slots formed in the body memberadapted to receive the shoe lace, and a'n upstanding tab formed on the v body member for manually moving said mem 

